Up to now, in an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (multi-function peripheral), a toner image is formed on a surface of an image carrier such as a surface of a photosensitive body or a surface of an intermediate transfer belt. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive body is transferred onto a sheet or the intermediate transfer belt. The toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt is transferred onto the sheet.
The toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier is transferred onto a material to be transferred, but a part of toner remains on the surface of the image carrier. The remaining toner is removed by a cleaner disposed in the photosensitive body or the intermediate transfer belt, and is recovered as a waste toner.
Also, in the image forming apparatus that enables color image formation, the residual toner in which the colors are mixed together, formed on the photosensitive bodies corresponding to the respective colors, or the intermediate transfer belt, is recovered as the waste toner.
The waste toner thus recovered is normally temporarily stored in a waste toner recovery container within the image forming apparatus, and discarded.